


Carving Your Place in My Heart

by twinsarein



Category: Smallville
Genre: First Kiss, Halloween, M/M, Underage Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-01
Updated: 2011-11-01
Packaged: 2017-10-25 14:34:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/271348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinsarein/pseuds/twinsarein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark brings some pumpkins over to the mansion to carve with Lex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carving Your Place in My Heart

Stopping just outside of Lex’s study, Clark shifted the big box in his arms, and then used his x-ray vision to peek through the closed door. As usual, Lex was seated behind his glass desk, laptop open as he typed on the keyboard.

Looking down at the box, Clark licked his lips nervously, and then scolded himself for being silly. There was nothing to be nervous about. Just because he’d been feeling odd while around Lex these days, thinking about him all the time, and waking up all sticky from dreams of Lex was no reason to be nervous.

In fact, that’s what today was supposed to be about - getting back on an even keel with Lex, his best friend. Not that that's what he wanted, but Lex had been giving him such searching looks lately, Clark was getting worried Lex had figured out how Clark had been feeling about him. He didn’t want to lose Lex by making him uncomfortable with being around him.

Shifting the box again, Clark held it in one arm this time while he opened the door into the study with the other. “Hey, Lex.”

“Just a minute, Clark. I’ll be right with you. I’m almost done setting up this spreadsheet.” Not even looking up, Lex waved a little wave while he typed with one hand.

With a mischievous smile on his face, Clark knelt on the floor and opened the box he’d brought in. He started to spread out the contents, putting everything they would need on the coffee table. He wasn’t quiet about it, and it only took a few seconds before he heard Lex’s laptop click as the lid was closed.

When Lex’s chair rolled back, Clark bit his bottom lip to contain a smile. Lex was quiet when he walked, but Clark could practically feel him getting closer, almost as if his presence had a physical force to it. Clark could feel his cheeks heating up in reaction, and he quickly tried to concentrate on the reason he was here, and not on how Lex was making him feel just because he’d moved closer.

“Clark, why are there two pumpkins on the table?”

The wary curiosity in Lex’s voice made Clark forget his resolve to not smile, and helped him refocus his attention to where it needed to be. He stood up, and faced Lex. “Because we’re going to carve them.”

“Carve... You expect me to carve a pumpkin?”

The incredulity in Lex’s voice this time made Clark’s smile even broader. He’d known this was going to be fun, but he’d had no idea just how much. “Yup.”

“Clark, I have no idea how to carve a pumpkin, but even if I attempted such a thing, I don’t believe I am dressed for it.”

The protest didn’t come as any surprise to Clark, but he still had to work at keeping his smile from growing any larger. He didn’t think Lex would appreciate it, at this point. “I’ve got that covered, so no worries. I brought towels to clean our hands with, and my mom even loaned me a couple of her plain, white aprons.”

“Aprons? Towels? This is going to be messy enough to need both of those? I didn’t think it would be that bad.”

Shaking his head at Lex’s continued resistance, Clark decided to cut through it, or they might never get started. “It isn’t that bad; I just didn’t want you to have any excuses for not doing it. We might have to wash our hands a couple of times, but as long as you roll up your sleeves you probably won’t get anything on your clothes. So come on. Sit down with me and let’s do this thing. I’ve really been looking forward to it. Don’t let getting dirty scare you.”

As if challenged, Lex started to unbutton the cuffs of his black dress shirt. “Wipe that smirk off your face, Farmboy, I know what you’re up to. Never let it be said, however, that I’m not willing to try something new. Bring it on.”

Dutifully, Clark wiped the pleased grin off his face as Lex gave in. When he saw Lex’s strong forearms being revealed, however, and the way the black contrasted against Lex’s pale skin, Clark had to look away.

His suggestion had been innocent, but he hadn’t known how good a look that was going to be on Lex. Maybe it was because Lex seldom showed skin, but seeing just his bare forearms was doing thing to Clark that he didn’t want Lex to find out about. He quickly knelt back down in front of the table.

Taking a deep breath, Clark rummaged around in the box, bringing out the aprons he’d mentioned before. Instead of handing one to Lex, though, he kept his attention on the pumpkin in front of him, and tossed the apron over the one Lex would be carving. “Here’s the apron I mentioned, if you decide to use it. I don’t need to worry about my flannel, but I’d forgotten how expensive your clothes are.”

“Enough of the cracks. You’ve got me here, just as you wanted, so show me what to do.”

Lex knelt on the floor beside him, close enough that Clark could feel the heat from his body. Ruthlessly, Clark forced his attention to the task at hand. As he spoke, he suited actions to words, so Lex would have a visual to go with what he was saying. “Cut a big hole at the top of your pumpkin, but make sure to angle the knife in, so that when you put the top part back on later, it doesn’t fall through.”

By the time he stopped talking, he had a nice cut around the entire top. Carefully, Clark wiggled it, and pulled it free. “Easy as that. Now, you try.”

Handing the knife to Lex, Clark shivered when the back of Lex’s hand brushed his fingers. “Do you have a compass in that box of yours?”

The question helped Clark to get his mind off that brief touch. “A compass? What do you need one of those for? Knowing east and west isn’t necessary for this project, Lex.”

“Not that kind of compass. I want to make sure my circle is round.”

Making an effort to not roll his eyes at Lex’s perfectionist ways, Clark just shook his head in the negative. “I don’t have anything like that, Lex. Besides, you don’t need it. Jack o’lanterns are more fun if they aren’t perfect. Just pick a space at the top to start cutting.”

Looking the pumpkin over for so long that Clark had to try not to fidget, Lex finally started to cut. He seemed surprised at how easily the knife went around once he’d actually pushed it through the thick outer skin. Even though he kept his movements strictly controlled, it wasn’t long before he’d gone all the way around.

Clark thought the look of concentration he had on his face was cute, although he was sure to keep that opinion to himself. “Great job, Lex. Now, just use the stem to wiggle the top around, to see if you need to make...”

When the top came right off in Lex’s hand, Clark let his instructions trail off with surprise. He couldn’t help smiling at the smug look Lex got on his face, though. His smile got even bigger when Lex looked into the pumpkin, smug look melting away at the sight of all the pumpkin guts.

“Clark, tell me we don’t have to take that...orange goo...out.”

Stifling a laugh, Clark couldn’t keep the twinkle out of his eyes. “Sorry, Lex. It all has to come out, and we have to separate the seeds from the rest of it, too. I do have some latex gloves, if you want to use them.”

At Lex’s glare, Clark didn’t bother hiding the glee in his eyes. It made Lex’s eyes soften, and Clark swallowed and looked away from the affectionate gaze. Clearing his throat, he handed a pair of gloves to Lex, and then reached for his scraper. “It’s not too hard to get the insides free from the walls of the pumpkin if you use this tool. You just reach in and scrape along the side, then pull out the stuff and dump it in that bowl over there.”

Quickly, Clark started to clean out his pumpkin, straightening his posture a little to get a better height to work from. Spinning the pumpkin around a little, he managed to scrape off a good part of the insides in short order.

Grabbing a big handful, he disposed of it in the big bowl he’d brought from his mom’s kitchen. “Once you’ve gone around once, get all the guts out that you can, and see if there’s anything left to scrape. Try and get out as much of the stringy stuff as you can, as well as any loose seeds on the bottom.”

With a grim look on his face, Lex snapped on a pair of gloves, and followed Clark’s instructions. Noticing the look on Lex’s face, Clark started to wonder if he’d made a mistake in pushing this activity so hard.

Putting a hand out, Clark laid it over the one Lex was using to scrape with.  He couldn't help a small caress, but he tried to pass it off as just shifting his hand.  At Lex's sharp look, he wasn't sure he'd succeeded, but Lex didn't call him on it. “I’m sorry. If you don’t want to do this, it’s no big deal. I can just pack everything up and take it back home with me, and finish them there.”

A number of expressions flitted across Lex’s face, so fast that Clark couldn’t say what any of them were. When the shifting expressions stopped, Lex had a slight smile on his face. “Don’t tell me you’re chickening out, Farmboy. You’re just jealous that I’m not getting nearly as dirty as you.”

With a flick of his fingers, a small glob of pumpkin guts landed on one of Clark’s cheeks. Clark’s eyes widened in surprise, but then he let out a delighted laugh. “Watch out, rich boy. This is one area where I have more experience than you, so I bet I can carve circles around you.”

With renewed vigor, Lex started scraping out the inside of his pumpkin. “You’re on, Farmboy. Show me what you can do.”

Determinedly, but with a lingering smile, Clark finished scraping out his pumpkin. Then, selecting a slim, serrated knife, he started to carve out a face. He made the eyes round this year, leaving some of the pumpkin in to simulate pupils, giving his jack o'lantern a slightly surprised look.

For the nose, he carved something deliberately off-kilter and large. He couldn’t resist going with a big grin for the mouth - one with lots of teeth. He sat back on his heels when he managed to get the last piece of pumpkin out without damaging what he’d wanted left behind. “There! A personal best if I do say so myself. So, let’s see you beat that, rich boy.”

Peeling the latex gloves off his hands, Lex tapped a finger against his lower lip. “Hmmm, not bad at all, but as I’ve nothing to really compare it against, I should see more examples. It wouldn’t hurt to get some idea of what I want to try, either.

Gracefully rising to his feet in one smooth motion, Lex walked over to his desk and raised the lid of his laptop. Clark watched him tap the keys for a few seconds, and then got up to join him. “What are you doing?”

Lex responded without even looking up. “Did you know they have carving patterns on here? Some of them quite elaborate, and many of them are free; you just print them off, and you’re in business. I’m just not sure what to chose. Any suggestions?”

Leaning down over Lex’s right shoulder, arm braced on the desk right beside him, Clark tried not to give away how affected he was by being so close to Lex. He inhaled slightly, and his breath hitched as his lungs filled with Lex’s scent.

“Um...” Voice a little husky, Clark stopped to clear his throat, avoiding Lex’s eyes when he turned to look at him. “These all look kind of complicated for a first attempt, Lex. Are you sure you don’t want to try something a little more classic - you know, triangle eyes and nose and a mouth with a couple of teeth?”

A scoffing laugh was Lex’s only reply, at first, as he continued to focus on his screen. “This is my first pumpkin, Clark. I want to carve something that makes it special, perhaps something that represents me in some way.”

Nodding his head, Clark bit his bottom lip as he looked over the choices on the webpage Lex had brought up. His eyes light up when he spotted a good one. “They have a dragon. That would be good for you. Dragons are fierce, and they’re protectors in some stories, like you protect Smallville. Oh, or the Prince Charming. You live in a castle, and you’re handsome and you rescue people who can’t help themselves.”

“That’s how you see me?”

The incredulity in Lex’s voice had Clark snapping his mouth shut, and frantically thinking over what he’d said, trying to figure out if it had been too revealing. “I...I don’t...um...Lex, I was just trying to...”

When Clark started to back up, Lex shifted his right hand a bit and grabbed Clark’s wrist. “Clark, calm down and look at me. Come on, Clark, look at me.”

Clark was still trying to decide if he dared to look at Lex yet, when Lex took the matter into his own hands. Literally. Lex reached up with his free left hand and cupped Clark’s cheek, exerting a little pressure to turn his face towards him.

At the first soft press of Lex’s hand, however, Clark closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek into Lex’s palm. He'd had no idea that such a simple touch would affect him so strongly, but it did.  Lex’s name came out on a soft sigh.  

“Jesus, Clark.”

The hush in Lex’s voice had Clark’s eyes snapping open, but before he could move back, Lex let go of his wrist, and put that hand on his upper arm, holding him in place. “You really liked that, didn’t you?”

As Lex asked his question, he shifted his hand just slightly, and rubbed his thumb back and forth on Clark’s cheek. Instinctively, Clark nuzzled into the touch again, and a small sound left his throat. A sound that had Lex’s hand tightening up on Clark’s face just a little.

“Jesus, Clark, this is a very bad idea. For so many reasons...”

Before Clark could even think about pulling back in embarrassment or hurt, Lex’s lips brush against his, and all thoughts flew out of Clark’s head. “... but I very much want to discover what else you like enough to make those sounds for.”

Hardly daring to move, Clark let another soft sound escape. This one had Lex sucking Clark’s lower lip in his mouth and scoring his teeth over it, before abruptly pulling back. “You really should stop me, Clark.”

Licking his bottom lip and getting a hint of Lex’s taste, Clark took a shuddery breath before he answered. “I don’t want to, Lex. You’re all I’ve been thinking about for months, and I want this. Want you.”

“God! You’re enough to tempt a saint, and I’m no saint, Clark, but you’re too important to me to risk messing up by going fast. Whatever we’re going to do, whatever we’re going to be to each other, I want to take it slow. Can you handle that?”

Nuzzling again into the hand still on his cheek, Clark nodded. “According to Chloe, I’m the epitome of slow. I don’t want to lose you either, Lex, but now that I know you want more, too, I don’t want to go back to just friends.”

Reaching over with his thumb, Lex ran it along Clark’s full bottom lip. “I don’t think that could happen now that I’ve had a taste of you, no matter how small, so no worries about that. For now, though, let’s finish my pumpkin, and then we can take it one step at a time.”

Reluctantly straightening up, away from the hand on his cheek, Clark nodded his agreement. “We can do that.” Manfully trying to shake off the arousal and elation caused by Lex’s touch and words, Clark forced his mind back onto the pumpkins. “Say, how about you do Alexander the Great’s breastplate? Or at least the symbol on it. You know, like the one you showed me in that museum exhibit earlier this year.”

Standing up, Lex briskly strode around his desk and headed for the pumpkins. “Great idea, Clark. I think I can even do that free-handed with no problem. It’s a pretty simple design.”

Focusing on the task at hand, Clark and Lex soon had the design mapped out on the pumpkin, using one of the tools Clark had brought. And, if their hands brushed more than ever before, and they sent each other goofy looks from under their eyelashes, no one was around to see it but them.


End file.
